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GAUDY 2019 WARDEN’S INTRODUCTION

It’s nearly the end of the Summer Term and that can only mean one thing – it’s time to fasten your seatbelts for the roller-coaster ride of talent and magnificence that is Gaudy Week at Teddies. The Quad Development has given us the perfect excuse to look beyond School for an extra venue and to make the most of our location in Oxford. We are delighted to invite you to the Assembly Room of the University of Oxford, the 300-year- old Sheldonian Theatre designed by Sir Christopher

Wren, for a really splendid Gaudy Concert. An added bonus of this historic venue is that members of the public have been invited to join us for a first- class performance of Mozart’s Requiem by the St Edward’s Singers, the Chapel Choirs and our professional Festival Orchestra conducted by Neville Creed. Elsewhere, look out for the Songwriters’ Collective showcasing pupils’ original compositions; an Opera Recital by visiting soprano Elizabeth Williamson; sultry Jazz from the House Band; the rousing Bands’ Festival; the Close Harmony Showcase; and the Leavers’ Platform – always an emotional and uplifting occasion. Two very different productions explore the teenage experience, from a challenging homework assignment in 500 Words , to rebellion, angst and frustration in If It Didn’t Matter , a gritty drama written specially for our pupils by emerging playwright Siofra Dromgoole, and performed by our Edinburgh Fringe company, Cup & Dagger Productions. Art this year is another special occasion, a Gala Private View across multiple venues showcasing stunning work by all year groups. Finally, needing no introduction, the wildly popular Dance Show is happily relocated to the much larger venue of the Marquee so that everyone can enjoy what promises to be a slick and classy celebration of all things Bond. Please do enjoy as much as you can of Gaudy Week. I look forward to seeing many of you in the final days of this term. Stephen Jones Warden

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